Reeling apparatus

ABSTRACT

A reeling apparatus may be provided in the form of a kit. The kit may include parts that permit the reeling apparatus to be shipped in a broken down, and therefore relatively compact condition. The kit may include cheek plates (or sideframes), and a set of elements that may be combined to form a substantially cylindrical hub. The sections of the hub may be of a size to nest, or partially nest, within the central passage of the cheek plates. The kit may fit together in a snap fit manner.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the field of apparatus upon which filaments or webs may be wound.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Loose string-like or web-like objects may tend to become tangled if thrown in a box. This problem may become apparent, for example, when a new Christmas tree is brought home, and the strings of lights are found thrown in a box in the furnace room. It may be helpful to have a light, and possibly relatively inexpensive reeling apparatus that may be used to bring order out of this chaos.

The very attributes that may be desirable in such a reeling apparatus—relative lightness, ample size, a good sized axially extending hub—may tend to be problematic in terms of shipping and store display space. That is, the reels may take up a lot of shelf space or shipping container space relative to their value. To that end, it may be helpful to have a reel in kit form, as described herein, that may be shipped and sold in a relatively compact manner, and assembled by the purchaser without undue complexity. It may also help for that kit to have relatively few parts, both for ease of manufacture, and for ease of assembly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In an aspect of the invention there is a kit that, on assembly, forms a reeling apparatus. The kit has first and second cheek plates, and an array of co-operable members. The array of co-operable members is mountable to and between the cheekplates to define a hub of the reeling apparatus.

In another feature of that aspect of the invention the array of co-operable members includes a set of sectoral members defining a substantially closed periphery. In another feature, the array of co-operable members includes a set of sectoral members that co-operate on assembly to form a circular cylindrical hub wall. In still another feature, the first and second cheek plates are identical. In a further feature, the array of co-operable members comprises a set of identical pieces. In a still further feature, the array of co-operable members consists of a set of identical parts. In yet another feature, the kit includes only two parts types. In still yet another feature, at least one of the co-operable members includes an anchor fitting to which an end of an object to be reeled may be secured. In again another feature, the cheek plates each have an inner radius, and the footprint of at least one of the members of the array of co-operable members has a footprint that is circumscribed by the inner radius.

In a still further feature, at least one of the co-operable members has an overall height that is less than 5 times the through thickness of one of the cheek plates. In yet another feature the cheek plates have an inner radius and an out-of-plane flange extending axially adjacent to the inner radius. In a further feature, the cheek plates and the members of the array of co-operating members have mutually engageable fittings by which the kit fits together. In still another feature, the mutually engageable fittings engage in a snap fit. In yet again another feature, the mutually engageable fittings include female fittings on the cheek plates, and male fittings on the co-operable members. In still another feature, the female fittings include an array of apertures, and the male fittings include prongs seatable in the apertures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects of the invention may be more readily understood with the aid of the illustrative Figures included herein below, and showing of an example, or examples, embodying the various aspects of the invention, provided by way of illustration, but not of limitation of the present invention, and in which:

FIG. 1 a shows an isometric view of an embodiment of a reeling apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 1 b is a view of the components of the reeling apparatus of FIG. 1 a, as disassembled and lying flat on a planar surface;

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the reeling apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the reeling apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows a plan view of a sideframe of the reeling apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the sideframe of FIG. 4 taken on section ‘5-5’;

FIG. 6 is a side view of a hub sector of the reeling apparatus of FIG. 1 a; and

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the hub sector of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The description that follows, and the embodiments described therein, are provided by way of illustration of an example, or examples, of particular embodiments of the principles of the present invention. These examples are provided for the purposes of explanation, and not of limitation, of those principles and of the invention. In the description, like parts are marked throughout the specification and the drawings with the same respective reference numerals. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and in some instances proportions may have been exaggerated in order more clearly to depict certain features of the invention.

For the purposes of this description, it may be that a cylindrical polar frame of reference may be employed. In such a frame of reference, the apparatus may have an axis of rotation, or x-axis, about which the apparatus may be turned in use, or about which various components of the apparatus may be formed or assembled as a body of revolution about that axis, or as a body for which that axis forms an axis of symmetry, of lies in a plane of symmetry, or is a focus about which repetitive sectors of the object may be oriented. The radial direction is then a direction lying in a plane to which the axial direction is normal, distances in the radial direction being measured away from the longitudinal or x-axis. The circumferential direction is mutually perpendicular to both the axial and radial directions. Angular position in the circumferential direction may be measured from a datum.

By way of general overview, a reeling apparatus 20, when assembled, may have the general form of a reel as commonly understood, namely of a pair of spaced apart end wall members, such as may be termed sideframes or cheek plates, 22, 24, that are maintained in their axial spacing by a hub, or hub assembly, 26. Cheek plates 22, 24 may tend to be substantially planar (i.e., their overall diameter D₂₂, D₂₄, is substantially greater than any out of plane feature they may have that stands outwardly in the axial direction). Cheek plates 22, 24 need not necessarily be circular, although a circular, or generally circular form may be convenient. The hub, or hub assembly 26 may tend to have a hollow cylindrical form (when assembled), with a peripheral wall, 28, extending about a generally open central passage 30. The outer face of the cylindrical wall presents a bobbin, or bobbin array, or assembly 32, about which a flexible extending member may be wound. A flexible extending member may have the form of a ribbon, or band, or web. Alternatively the flexible extending member may have the form of a string, or rope or cable, or wire, or bundle of wires or such like object that may conveniently be wound for storage and paid out, or unwound, for use. An example of such a windable object might be an electrical extension cord or a string of Christmas lights, or a similar object. As an aid in the winding or turning operation, reeling apparatus 20 may further include a crank or handle member 32, such as may be used to impart torque to the reel more generally as may be required.

It may be desired that reeling apparatus 20 be assembled from a kit of a relatively small number of components. It may also be desired that, in a disassembled state, that apparatus 20 be amendable to shipping in a relatively compact form. It may be that neither the kit, nor the individual components, nor the manner of assembly thereof may be of undue complexity.

Reeling apparatus 20 may be symmetrical about a middle plane M that lies mid-way between the planes of sideframes 22, 24, such that a description of one sideframe may serve to describe both, allowing for their installation on opposite hands (i.e., l/h and r/h). Considering then FIGS. 3 and 4, it may be seen that sideframe 22 (or 24, as may be), has the general form of a substantially planar disc 34. Disc 34 may have a central aperture 36 formed therethrough. A web, or spider, or spanning member 38 may occlude part of aperture 36, and may extend fully across aperture 36, dividing aperture 36 into two individual apertures or aperture portions 40, 42 lying to either side of the spanning member. Spanning member 38 may define handle member 32, and may include a grip, or gripping, or grasping feature, or features, such as a wave or scalloped edge 44 defining and array of finger reliefs 46. In that regard, aperture 36 (or 40, 42, as may be) may provide one or more grip access ways, or engagement reliefs.

Sideframe 22 (or 24) may have an inner ring or region identified as 50, an outer ring or region, identified as 52, and an array of predominantly radially extending linking webs, or arms, or members 54 spaced about, and joining, inner ring 50 and outer ring 52. There may then be an array of intervening reliefs or spaces 60 formed between circumferentially adjacent arms 54, and between inner ring 50 and outer ring 52. These reliefs or spaces may account for a substantial portion of the area nominally within the annulus defined between inner ring inside diameter D₅₀ and outer ring outside diameter D₂₂ (or D₂₄, as may be). In one embodiment, they account for more than 50% of the area between D₅₀ and D₂₄. Inner ring 50 may have a width in the radial direction T₅₀. Outer ring 52 may have a width in the radial direction of T₅₂. T₅₂ may be equal to or greater than T₅₀. Inner ring 50 may also have, or be provided with, or be integrally formed with, an axially extending, or out of plane protruding leg, or abutment, or wall, or inner peripheral support array, indicated generally as flange 62. Flange 62 extends away from the plane P of disc 34. The radially outwardly extending leg 64 of inner ring 50 may have an array of hub securement fittings 66. In one embodiment these fittings may be in the nature of accommodations, or slots, or sockets, or apertures 68.

The hub, or hub assembly, 26, may include an array of members 70. Members 70 may be axial spacers. They may have the form of partial arcs of a circular cylindrical wall, i.e., they may be circular sectors 72. Sectors 72 may have a wall thickness, t₇₂ that is approximately the same as the wall thickness of flange 62. Each sector, or plate may include a web or filament retainer or anchor fitting, 74. In one embodiment, this anchor fitting may be a set of fittings of the negative image of the prongs of a three prong electrical plug, as illustrated, so that the male end of an extension cord, or string of Christmas lights, or the like, may be inserted in the three pronged socket so formed, and then reeled up. These sectors, or plates may have securement fittings 76 that mate with securement fittings 66 of inner ring 50. In one embodiment securement fitting 76 may have the form of a tang or tab or prong 78. Prong 78 may have a thickness t₇₈ that is greater than the thickness t₇₂ of member 70, generally. To the extent that there may be an array of prongs 78 for engagement with both sideframe 22 and sideframe 24; and to the extent that prongs on either side may be aligned, in the axial direction, the increase in local thickness may extend fully across member 70, from one prong to another, as at 79.

The relationship between fittings 76 and 66 may be that of male and female fittings, the one fitting in the other. It is somewhat arbitrary which part has the male fitting, or prong, and which part has the female fitting, or socket. When fittings 76 are fully engaged with fittings 66, the radially inner margin 80 of each sector 72 may tend to sit adjacent to, and radially outboard of the radially outer face of flange 62. In one embodiment they may fit in a relatively snug fit, possibly a slight interference fit. The ends of prongs 78 may include an interference, or deformable end fitting 82, which may be a bulbous end 84 of greater diameter or through thickness than the aperture, or notch or socket into which, or through which it is to fit. In one embodiment, bulbous end 84 has a central slot, or mitre 85, such that the bulbous halves may squeeze together somewhat when introduced into the female socket, and, once the bulb is past the opening, may tend to spread apart again elastically, so tending to discourage dislodgement. This may be a snap fit condition, or a detent condition. In one embodiment the bulbous end portion is sloped in the entry direction, and has a steep, or perpendicular, shoulder on the proximal side of the bulb, such that, on installation, the female aperture rides against the sloped face, somewhat like a cam surface, and the steep shoulder acts as a catch or stop or abutment to prevents subsequent disengagement of the sideframe, i.e., the unit is may be intended to be permanently assembled. As may be understood, the number of sectors 72, and the angular pitch or arc length in the circumferential direction at the wall radius, R₇₂, may tend when assembled to provide a peripheral wall 86 that may be substantially continuous and may describe a full circular arc, more of less. The wall need not be fully continuous, and need not necessarily describe a circle. It could be oval, hexagonal, octagonal, or even square or elliptical, or some other peripheral shape lying between the inner and outer radii of cheek plates 22, 24 such that a bobbin is formed upon which objects may be reeled up, or from which reeled objects (such as a string of lights) may be paid off. In an alternate embodiment, the sectors can be smaller than their arcuate pitch spacing, i.e., there may be gaps or interstitial spaces between circumferentially adjacent sectors. In an alternate embodiment there may be an array of pegs, or quasi-pegs, or posts, or bars, not necessarily of circular or square section, forming an array of posts about which the filament or band member can be wound in a generally polygonal manner, the number of vertices of the polygon correlating to the number of pegs or posts.

In one embodiment, there may be four such sectors 72, each describing about a quarter of a circle (i.e., 90 degrees of arc) or slightly less. On each of sectors 72, prongs 78 may be spaced about 80% (+/−10%) of the chord length apart, and each pair of corresponding female sockets, i.e., fittings 66, may be similarly spaced, each pair and each sector 72 then being installed on 360/n angular pitches (i.e., where n is the number of sectors, when n=4 pieces, then 90 degrees, if n=5, then 72 degrees, n=6, 60 degrees and so on). When installed, the circumferentially extending axial abutment edges, or shoulders 88, 90 maintain a minimum axial spacing of cheek plates 22, 24 at the axial width W₇₀ of member 70. It is not necessary that all sectors subtend the same arc, or contribute equal portions to the periphery of the hub. Each sector may be different. However, it may be that all sectors are identical, and are produced from the same mold. That is, members 70 and sideframes 22 (which may be identical to sideframe 24) may be molded parts, and may be plastic molded parts, that are produced from the same molds, only two such molds (one for members 70, and one for members 22, 24) being required to form all of the pieces of the kit.

In one embodiment, the diagonal extent of each sectoral member 70, indicated as S₇₀, is less than the inner radial diameter D₅₀ of inner ring 50. As such, sectoral member 70 may nest within aperture 36 (or with one foot 92 in aperture 40, and the other foot 94 in aperture 42, with the arch of the sector overspanning the handle or crank member 38. The sideframes may be stacked one upon another, and the hub wall sectors may also be stacked one upon another in a partially nested manner, thus reducing the overall volume of the object to be shipped, and increasing the number of packages of reels that may be shipped in a shipping container. In some embodiments, the depth of sectoral member 70, indicated as H₇₀, may be less than 5 times the overall through thickness of sideframe 22 or sideframe 24, wherein that overall through thickness t₂₂ or t₂₄ may be, in effect, the flange width of the inner annular flange, 62, indicated as H₆₂.

This may be expressed differently. H₇₀ is equal to the product obtained by multiplying the outside radius R_(70(outside)) of sector 70 by the sum of one less the cosine of half the angle subtended by sector 70. I.e., H₇₀=R_(70(outside))(1−Cos(theta/2)), where theta is the subtended angle. Re-arranging this, in one embodiment the ratio of H₇₀/R_(70(outside)) lies in the range of 0.3 or less. Expressed differently again, in one embodiment the ratio of t₂₂/R_(70(outside)) is less than 0.06.

The length of the pertinent diagonal may also be expressed differently, that length being the length of the hypotenuse of the right angle triangle whose other two sides have lengths equal to (a) the axial length of item 70 (i.e., the spacing distance between the cheek plates when the kit is assembled) and (b) the chord length of member 70, which is also equal to twice the Sine of half the angle theta subtended by member 70. (I.e., chord length=2×Sin(theta/2).)

The kit may be supplied in a single package, and may include more than one reel. The kit may be shipped with the sides frames stacked upon each other. Similarly, the hub sectors may be stacked upon each other. In one embodiment, the stack of hub sections may be nested, at least in part, in the central opening of the stack of sideframes.

When the kit is opened, the hub sectors may be inserted into one sideframe, as suggested in FIGS. 1 b and 1 c. This step may involves forcing the male and female fittings into engagement. That forcing step may involve deforming or deflecting the bulbous end portions, and permitting them to expand, thus tending to retain the parts in place. Engaging the hub sectors also includes forming a perimeter, which may be an array of posts, or bars, or may be a substantially continuous peripheral wall, about which a flexible web of filament may be wound. When the hub assembly is in place, the second sideframe is mounted thereon, repeating the engagement of male and female fittings. In operation, an end of the filament may be anchored in the anchor fittings, and the reel may be turned with the aid of the handle.

The principles of the present invention are not limited to these specific examples which are given by way of illustration. It is possible to make other embodiments that employ the principles of the invention and that fall within its spirit and scope of the invention. Since changes in and or additions to the above-described embodiments may be made without departing from the nature, spirit or scope of the invention, the invention is not to be limited to those details. 

1. A kit, on assembly said kit forming a reeling apparatus, said kit comprising first and second cheek plates, and an array of co-operable members, said array of co-operable members being mountable to and between said cheek plates to define a hub of the reeling apparatus.
 2. The kit of claim 1 wherein said array of co-operable members includes a set of sectoral members defining a substantially closed periphery.
 3. The kit of claim 1 wherein said array of co-operable members includes a set of sectoral members that co-operate on assembly to form a circular cylindrical hub wall.
 4. The kit of claim 1 wherein said first and second cheek plates are identical.
 5. The kit of claim 1 wherein said array of co-operable members comprises a set of identical pieces.
 6. The kit of claim 1 wherein said array of co-operable members consists of a set of identical parts.
 7. The kit of claim 1 wherein said kit includes only two parts types.
 8. The kit of claim 1 wherein at least one of said co-operable members includes an anchor fitting to which an end of an object to be reeled may be secured.
 9. The kit of claim 1 wherein said cheek plates each have an inner radius, and the footprint of at least one of the members of the array of co-operable members has a footprint that is circumscribed by said inner radius.
 10. The kit of claim 1 wherein at least one of said co-operable members has an overall height that is less than 5 times the through thickness of one of the cheek plates.
 11. The kit of claim 1 wherein said cheek plates have an inner radius and an out-of-plane flange extending axially adjacent to said inner radius.
 12. The kit of claim 1 wherein said cheek plates and said members of said array of co-operating members have mutually engageable fittings by which said kit fits together.
 13. The kit of claim 12 wherein said mutually engageable fittings engage in a snap fit.
 14. The kit of claim 12 wherein said mutually engageable fittings include female fittings on said cheek plates, and male fittings on said co-operable members.
 15. The kit of claim 14 wherein said female fittings include an array of apertures, and said male fittings include prongs seatable in said apertures. 